We all know that feeling- when you’re watching a movie set in New York City and you recognize more than half the backdrops and settings in the movie because, of course, this is the life you live. Watching movies set in NYC has always been really entertaining for me because a place I rush through on my commute every morning could be the opening scene of a hit superhero movie (in this case, the movie I had in mind is Spider-Man 2, in which the opening scene is filmed on the 7 train.)
As we go through time, we go through New York City in the eyes and perspectives of different people. One of the most accurate representations of this diverse timeline is the world of film and cinema. Decades and decades of movies set in New York City have allowed viewers to experience New York City in the eyes of mobsters, gang members, lovers, workers, criminals, and moreover, regular people living a New Yorker life.
Upon research of the varying cinematographic perspectives of New York City through the years, I encountered some of the most iconic films. I’ve watched a few of these movies and have sometimes wished to be transported back in time to the 1970s so I too can fight crime with Detective John Shaft (Shaft, 1971).
All About Eve (1950)
Stardom in the 1950s was a cutthroat world, as reminded by All About Eve, a film about a young woman deliberately trying to usurp stardom for herself in New York City. Here, we see New York City through the maddening, pulsating world of fame and glamour with more than a touch of poison.
Rear Window (1954)
In Rear Window, viewers are given a “window” into the life of a quiet Greenwich Village photographer who witnesses a murder through his apartment window. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window, shows the audience what dirty secrets lie rampant in the glamorous world of Manhattan.
On the Waterfront (1954)
On the Waterfront depicts life in the 1950s for dockworkers at the corruption-filled waterfront. We watch as Marlon Brando and friends struggle to resist the mob-controlled abuse of power, while struggling to maintain their daily lives as hard working laborers. This film shows the brutality of corruption in New York City and the life of a commonplace worker fighting against it.
West Side Story (1961)
The classic West Side Story is told through the eyes of star-crossed lovers who fall in love despite their affiliations with two warring New York City gangs- the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. West Side Story shows the heavy presence of gang activity in the 1960s, as well as a softer side with two teenagers who cannot help but fall in love.
Serpico (1973)
Serpico is told through the life of an NYPD officer who goes undercover in order to expose corruption within New York’s own justice system. The film does not hold back in exposing the grit and dirt of crime in the 1970s, and it is unafraid to let the world know about the corruption that runs rampant among the streets of New York City.
Manhattan (1979)
True to its name, Manhattan holds gorgeous and captivating views of the city while pursuing a much more hideous subject: the love affair between a divorced, middle-aged man and a seventeen year old high school girl. Although considered problematic today, in 1979, the film focused on the intensity of the social interaction procreated in New York City.
Fame (1980)
Appealing to its younger audience, Fame took on the role of the young and talented of New York City at the High School of Performing Arts where students dreaming of reaching for the stars. Bright and starry-eyed, yet highly tense and filled with the pains of growing up, Fame gives audiences a genuine insight into what life is like for a New York City youngster in the late 1900s.
Working Girl (1988)
Working Girl follows the commuter life of Staten Island’s Tessa McGill, who fights for her way into the male-dominated business world of New York City. It is considered the “ultimate portrait of the life of a young professional New York Woman in the 1980s.” (Buzzfeed)
Juice (1992)
Starring the legendary Tupac, Juice is filmed through the eyes of a group of young kids raised in the tough streets of Harlem, Manhattan. The three friends form a gang, first experimenting with petty thefts and gradually moving on to life-altering crimes. It is a reminder that not every child in Manhattan is raised with a pedigree and a trust fund- some are forced to resort to actions that feel like the only way to cope with their childhoods and surroundings.
Center Stage (2000)
Welcome to the lives of some of the world’s greatest dancers as they navigate their way through the murderous competition, the unreachable demands and the bitterness that comes with being a ballerina in the School of American Ballet.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)T
The 2000s were some of the greatest years fashion has ever had, and although glamorous, the world of fashion is equally times as wicked. In The Devil Wears Prada, a young college grad fights to create a life for herself in New York City, working at one of the biggest fashion magazines, under one of the world’s cruelest bosses.
Remember Me (2010)
Remember Me is shot through the lens of a New York University student who is on the wrong track of life. A tumultuous, messy love story, Remember Me shows the difficulty of being a college student in love with a girl but in hate with the world. It is one of my all-time favorite romance movies, with the absolute worst ending.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street, in my opinion, is one of the greatest movies of all time. It follows the story of real-life Jordan Belfort, a once extremely successful wall street stockbroker, whose company and lifestyle fell to corruption and downfall. The Wolf of Wall Street is raunchy and greedy- as real as the world of Wall Street itself is. It tackles the issue of corruption within Wall Street and can serve as a reminder that this corruption may never leave.
Researching movies shot through the decades in New York City was a lot of fun and actually gave me a few new titles that I have to remember to watch. Most importantly, it is a reminder of how many perspectives there are; whether it is through the decades, through the years, or through the days. In a list of 13 movies spanning more than 60 years, a dozen different perspectives have been uncovered and discovered through the lens. The true urban change and development behind New York City is fostered and sponsored through its people and the roles we all play.
I totally agree with the notion that watching a movie filmed in your neighborhood definitely makes it more entertaining and makes it easier to relate to. I appreciate how you went above and beyond showing the ways in which filmography directly relates to the live history of New York State. This was a very interesting read, great work!
You really did an amazing jobs illustrating how movies and film depict the change of New York City, and not just through time. The examples you used showed the diversity of the city and how the horizons have expanded from the early years of cinema until present day. Each movie shows a little piece of history and tells a story about the era during which it was created, something crucial to understanding urban change and the factors behind it. Great work!